To Make You Smile
by Lianna-snow
Summary: At the age of nine, Rick Rodgers loves writing stories about fictional characters. That is, until he meets Kate Beckett, and begins to secretly write a story based on her. All goes well, and no one finds out about his little secret. Then, one day, he discovers that part of his story has mysteriously gone missing.


To Make You Smile

Castle Childhood fanfic One-shot

A/N: Hello readers! It's been a while since I've written a fic for this fandom:) In fact, it's been a while since I've sat down and actually written a fanfic, so...HOPE YOU LIKE THIS;)

For those of you who watch NCIS, you'd probably find this story familiar. It is, in fact, taken from the story Ziva talked about. She mentioned that in her first fight, she punched a guy for saying he liked her. This plot bunny just came to me:P and my dear friend JellieEllie convinced me to do a Caskett version instead of NCIS, so HERE IT IS^^

Disclaimer: I CAN'T OWN CASTLE. But I love Marlowe for finally getting them together;)

###

She was sitting on the bench again. Alone. All the other children were playing with their friends, screaming and running around, but not her. She usually just sat on the bench and read a book until the bell rang to signify the end of lunch break. It was probably what first got him to notice her, because she was different.

He loved writing. It was the one thing he knew he was good at, and it had always been something that he had wanted to do when he grew up. He mostly wrote fairy tales, with the main characters winning the battles and becoming heroes, because he simply liked the idea of a happy ending for everyone.

Richard continued to watch her read, obviously enthralled by the book's story and characters. From the looks of the worn out book cover, he could guess that she had read this book many times. He didn't know when she had somehow caused him to be fascinated with everything she did. Even the small things like how she sat, or her handwriting, intrigued him to no end. In some ways, he felt like a stalker, in other ways, he felt like a real writer.

There were times, when he wished that he had the guts to get up and talk to her, but the fear of screwing up his chance, constantly nagged at him. There had been rumors that she was really fierce and cold person to anyone who tried to talk to her. So, he kept his distance from her, spending most of his lunch break writing his own stories.

Richard often spent his lesson time writing stories, after he got tired of listening to the monotonous voice of the teacher. He had recently began a new story, about a mysterious teenage spy, code-named Nikki Heat. He had also unintentionally based his new character on the equally mysterious Katherine Beckett, but it was his own little secret. He never intended for anyone else to find out.

###

The sudden shrill of the bell woke him from his slumber. He opened his eyes to see most of the students walking out of the doors, so he quickly stuffed everything into his bag, and followed suit. It was only when he reached home, that he discovered that the first pages of the first chapter of his story, were missing.

It couldn't have been left at home, because he had just started writing it. It couldn't have been left at school, because he had packed everything up. The more he thought about it, the more nervous he became. 'What if the CIA stole it, because something in it reflected some big national secret?' He thought, anxiously. Just then, he heard the front door open, and he immediately got up.

"Mother, have you seen my papers?" He asked, as he ran down the stairs to the living room of their small home.

"No, I haven't. Sorry, I can't help you look, because I'm headed out with friends. I'll probably be late, dear, so don't wait up for me." Martha answered as she waltzed into the room, dropping her heavy shopping bags, and picking up a new outfit to change into.

"Again? Mother, this is fourth time this week that you're staying out late, and it's only Thursday!" Richard called out, as he carried his mother's bags into her room.

"You're growing up too fast, Richard." Martha smiled and ruffled his hair a little, as she collected her bags from him. "You're only nine, you can afford to live a little."

"But Mother-" He began, but Martha cut him off as she reached for her purse.

"Sorry, dear, I really must be going. There's frozen dinner in the fridge, or you can order in. Don't forget to do your homework!" Martha reminded, as she closed the front door behind her. "Have a good night!"

"Until tomorrow, mother." Richard sighed softly, as the front door clicked shut, and the noises ebbed.

Richard stood quietly in the apartment, feeling more alone than ever. He had never known his father, and his relationship with his mother was almost nonexistent. He suddenly didn't feel all that hungry anymore, and retreated to his room to continue writing his story.

He arrived in school the next morning, to see the missing chapter left on his desk, as if nothing had happened. To say that he was quite puzzled, would be an understatement. Still, he did not want to push his luck, so he slipped the papers back into his bag, and scrambled to finish his remaining homework. However, he deliberately left the next chapter on the table, just to see if the person would come back.

It wasn't great surprise to find that by the beginning of break time, the folder containing his next chapter had been taken. By then, he'd guessed that the 'thief' was probably someone who wanted to read his story, so he didn't really mind that much anymore.

As he headed to his normal spot to revisit the world of Nikki Heat, he heard a sharp cry of pain coming from the direction of the playground. At first, he hesitated, knowing from experience that whoever it was, that was getting pummeled, would be humiliated. However, his own burning sense of curiosity quickly made him cave in and run over, to see a small crowd forming.

He peered through the gaps between the other students, and saw Kate, in one fluid motion, pin one of the boys in their class, Josh Davidson, down by his arm. He yelped in pain and she leaned down to whisper something in his ear, before releasing him. She stood up, and swiftly disappeared into the crowd.

Seeing as the excitement was over, the crowd began to disperse. Richard stepped forward to help the boy up. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked.

"Yep. Thanks. Darn, that girl can really fight!" The boy exclaimed, as he dusted the dirt off his clothes, and rubbed his red cheek.

"I don't mean to be rude, but why did she suddenly punch you? She doesn't seem like the type." Richard asked. The boy looked at his shoes with embarrassment, and quietly replied that he had told Kate that he liked her.

"Oh. Well, what did she say to you?"

"She told me that she's already taken, and to back off. I wonder who's the lucky guy, or if there even is one." Josh said, with slight amusement in his eyes as he jogged back to class.

Richard suddenly felt a light tap on his shoulder, and turned around to see Kate standing awkwardly behind him. She was holding out a few sheets of paper towards him. "Here, I think these are yours. I found them on the floor of the classroom. They'd been blown off your desk."

"You know, if you liked the story and wanted to read more, all you had to do, was ask me to let you read it." Richard smiled warmly at her as he took the papers back, but on the inside, he was constantly reminding himself that she could kick his ass if he tried anything. She gave him a strange look when she sensed his nervousness, and shifted her body slightly further away from his.

"Um... I just wanted to say sorry, for not returning it sooner. I really liked your story." The girl said rather shyly, with her eyes trained on the papers that he held in his hands. Richard had no idea how to respond to her compliment, because no one had ever said something like that to him.

"Well, I've written more chapters, so I can let you read them in future." He said, still reveling in the new knowledge that people actually like his work. Perhaps he may have the potential to be a successful writer. No one had ever praised him like that.

The moment he offered to let her read the story, Kate's face brightened up considerably, and a smile finally appeared on her lips, as she nodded eagerly. In that moment, all Richard wanted to do, was to find a way make it stay there forever.

###

Richard was in the midst of sending Nikki Heat into a deep undercover mission, when he felt a sudden presence behind him. He whirled around, fearing that it was a teacher who would gladly use this as an excuse to confiscate his papers, and found himself nose to nose with Kate Beckett. He had to admit, the girl was difficult to scare. She didn't even blink.

"Kaaate." He whined, still marveling at her ability to sneak up on him without him realizing it. "It's break time! Can't you give me a break?"

"Stop whining, Ricky." She said, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "No teacher's gonna book you for this."

Richard sent her a glare at the use of the nickname. He knew that she had a valid point, but he hated to lose an arguement. So, he made a quick deflection by handing her his extra hot cocoa. He had made a daily habit of doing so, ever since he gave her one as a 'thank you' for returning his chapter, and found out about her secret addiction to the drink. Surprisingly, she let him.

"You need something else?" He asked. She shook her head slowly, but her eyes kept glancing to the small stack of papers on the table, so he rolled his eyes and handed the next few chapters to her.

Richard turned back to writing his papers, and Kate smiled eagerly as she watched him. She preferred to call him Rick, because it sounded less formal, compared to Richard. Calling him 'Ricky' was simply to irritate him.

She had always found him to be an intriguing character, so to speak. He was explicitly childish, but his character ideas showed signs of maturity far beyond his years. She had picked up traces of herself, in his character 'Nikki Heat', when she chanced upon the first chapter of his story. After the initial shock has worn off, she had been eager to read the rest of his story, as she found the characters easier to empathize with.

At first, she had thought of him as a playboy, who only befriended her because of her looks. After all, he was one of the most popular people in class, and could get any girl he wanted. However, after she befriended him, she realised that he was just a boy who enjoyed weaving tales that captivate others, because his life was mainly that, a story to tell others.

She had also realized long ago, that Richard had a crush on her. Her mother worked in the law business, so she was trained to be sensitive to others. She knew that he would often be watching her during break times, and she often felt secretly flattered, that she had captured his attention so greatly. At other times, she would catch herself staring at him instead.

Smiling to herself at the irony that she was still staring at him, she quietly pulled up a chair and sat next to him, reading his chapter with renewed interest.

###

Things carried on as they were, for a few months. Neither one of them wanted to disrupt the unspoken arrangement they had between them, even for the chance of becoming something more.

Richard continued to keep their relationship simple, with no extra complications. While Kate, however, became more and more conflicted with her feelings with each day. On one hand, she was afraid that he would wait for her, but on the other hand, she was afraid of what will happen to her, if he actually stopped.

After having finally won the battle with herself after many days, she decided to end the little game they were playing. She went to school slightly earlier than usual, and forced herself to stay on track. She was going to take a risk, and tell Richard how she felt, and hopefully, he still felt the same.

Kate was nervously walking along the quiet corridor towards her classroom, when she overheard laughter, and what sounded like a girl's voice entangled with Richard's, coming from it. She paused, and cautiously peered into the classroom.

Gina Powell was casually leaning on the side of Richard's table, glancing through his story. She was one of the most popular girls in the class, and an avid reader herself. From the looks of it, Gina and Richard had been laughing at an inside joke.

The realization that Richard may have finally decided to stop waiting, made Kate's heart feel stone cold empty. She suddenly felt like throwing up. Had she waited too long? Her heart felt like it was going to be torn in half, and she choked out a hurt sob, before running as far away as she could.

Kate could feel him staring at her from the other side of the classroom. The cocoa left on the side of her desk had turned cold, but she still refused to touch it. Her eyes were specifically trained on the work in front of her.

She had given him the cold shoulder for the entire duration of break time. He had placed the chapter next to her on the bench, but she left it there without touching it. It was hard for her to ignore him, especially when he seemed so concerned. However, the fact that he had broken her heart remained, like a glass shard piercing into her soul. She refused to allow herself to shed her tears for such a reason. She could live without him. The question was, did she WANT to?

###

She was ignoring him. That kind of hurt. She had also addressed him as Richard, instead of the usual 'Rick', when she was forced to discuss something with him. Other than that, she acted as if he didn't exist.

He had tried to ask her what he had done to bring out this side of her, but she simply averted the topic and focused on the work. To him, he felt like her hard punches would hurt less than the icy coldness that she was currently displaying towards him.

When the school bell finally rang, signalling the end of his misery, he quickly looked up, hoping to catch her on the way out of the classroom. However, she was nowhere to be found. Since he spent the entire day trying to catch her attention, he found himself heading towards the restroom to relieve himself, before walking home.

When he exited the men's room, he found a familiar form bending over in front of the ladies' room. Kate heard his footfalls and stopped repacking her bag. A flash of hurt crossed her face, as she looked up at him for the first time that day.

"What do you want?" She said sharply, when he didn't move away or towards her.

"Kate, what did I do?" He said simply, betraying all his thoughts with that one sentence. He could almost see the hardness that suddenly covered up the hurt in her eyes. She didn't reply. She got up stiffly, and made a move to walk past him.

Richard stepped into her path, not daring to try and grab her hand, lest she break his hand for doing so. It was a wise decision, considering that no one else was around. She could easily say that it was for self defence. Kate glared at him again, but this time, he could see that her eyes were more shiny than they were before.

"Are you mad because I didn't give you the chapter? Because I left it on your desk!" Richard said, desperately trying to get her to speak to him.

"I don't need to read it. Why don't you just give it to Gina? I'm sure she has more things to talk about." She barked out. She intended for her voice to have more venom, but it came out as broken as she felt inside.

"What? Is that what you're so upset about? That I let Gina read my story?" Richard could scarcely believe what she just said. "I let Gina read it, because she knows a good editor and she wanted to recommend him to me. Plus, I only let her read the main outline, not the actual chapters."

"Oh." Kate's look of shock and disbelief turned into guilt, and Richard felt like laughing.

"Oh my gosh Kate, you were jealous weren't you?"

"O-of course not! Do you know what you're implying?" She replied defensively, but he could see that her walls had come down, and she was fighting a smile. For her dignity's sake, Richard dropped the subject, choosing to hand her the latest chapter instead. "Here. You can take it home to read, unless you don't want to, anymore."

She snatched it from him instantly, ignoring his last statement, beaming from ear to ear. Richard started grinning at her immense excitement over getting his chapter, and thought about how great it would be, to have fans in the future who would look the same, when they buy his books. She noticed his stare, and blushed, breaking eye contact.

"You're so cute, Kate!" He blurted out. He couldn't help it, and he figured that telling her now, was as good a time as any. "Is it really crazy and stupid to say that I really really like you?"

Her stunned response was one that he expected. Kate froze in the midst of flipping a page of the chapter, and stared at him quizzically. She paused for a second, wondering if he was just saying that, and slipped the chapter into her bag.

She took a tentative step toward him, and he jerked back slightly. So, he WAS nervous about this. She smiled slightly at the realization, and took another step. This time, he didn't retreat, but he did quickly block his face with his hands in a defensive position.

Kate wanted to laugh, but she held it in, and smirked. She started chewing her lip, unsure of how she should respond to his unexpected confession.

Richard was getting more and more nervous by the minute, but he knew that he had asked for it. He had sprung a surprising confession on her, just when they made up from their first fight. So, he was not surprised at her hesitation. What he did not expect, was the sudden hug that she gave him. Kate leapt forward and tackled him into a big hug that almost made him lose his balance. He instinctively reached up to wrap his own arms around her waist.

The hug was over just as suddenly as it started. Kate retracted her arms from around his body, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss a very surprised Richard, on the cheek. As she did so, her hand slipped down to link their fingers together, and she whispered softly into his ear. "Well then you're lucky, Ricky, 'cause as it turns out, I really like you too."

Looking down at their intertwined hands, neither of them could stop a radiant smile from blossoming on their faces.

~End~

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Like it? Dislike it? Leave me a review to let me know:) Reading reviews always makes my day a little brighter :D So, thanks for reading my fics guys! It's always good to know that people actually read my stories.

No long Author's note here, because I'm preparing for a competition :D See you guys later^^ I'll write more Castle fics if you guys like this:) After all, it's the hiatus :C hahaha :) Have a great week guys!

Until next time,

~Lianna


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